Observing that the close collaboration between SIAM and ACMA with the Government of India is playing a crucial role in shaping policies, Hanif Qureshi, the Guest of Honour and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India, set the context for the SIAM Automotive Sourcing Conclave held in Delhi on 22 November 2023. 

The one-day event hosted by SIAM under the theme ‘Towards Building a Resilient Supply Chain’ addressed critical areas in the supply chain such as EV components, electronics and electricals, transmission systems and metals.

Informing that the essence of the policies in the automotive industry revolve around localisation which is at heart of the Government approach, Qureshi in his inaugural speech mentioned that there is a substantial potential for domestic value addition within the country.  

Inaugurating a digital showcase of localisation opportunities for the vendors in Indian auto sector, the guest of honour Anant Swarup, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries and the Department of Commerce, Government of India, said, “There is a greater possibility for further increased localization in the Auto Industry and there is a potential to achieve this across OEMs."

Vinod Aggarwal, President of SIAM, and CEO and Managing Director, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd, averred that the process of localisation is poised to substantially reduce costs, generate more employment opportunities and further enhance export. 

In his welcome address, the Chairman of SIAM Aatmanirbhar Bharat Sourcing Group and Senior Executive Director at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Sunil Kakkar said that this is the best time to invest and scale up localisation for Indian automotive OEMs and auto components manufacturers.  

Vikrampati Singhania, Vice President, ACMA, and Managing Director, J K Fenner India Ltd, spoke about the challenges and opportunities that lie in the automotive supply chain. He also spoke about the impact of IPEF on automotive supply chain. Sumanta Chaudhuri, Principal Advisor, International Trade Policy Division, CII, also delved on the impact of IPEF on automotive sourcing.

In the session themed ‘Trends in Automotive Transmission’, Sachin Kulkarni, Co-Chairman, SIAM Aatmanirbhar Bharat Sourcing Group and Senior Executive Director at Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd, drew attention to the growth opportunities in automotive engineering and technology areas such as automotive transmission. 

In the session themed ‘Specialised Metals and Raw Materials for Auto Sector’, Badrish Sinha, Co-Chairman, SIAM Aatmanirbhar Bharat Sourcing Group, and Vice-President - Purchasing, VE Commercial Vehicles, spoke about sourcing automotive grade steel locally. 

The Indian steel mills have the competency and efficiency to compete with global markets, he informed. “By working closely with the steel mills we (the auto industry) can reduce steel imports,” he suggested. 

Esteemed panelists Sanjeev Maini, HOD, Metallurgical Engineering, Bureau of Indian Standards, Sanjay Agarwal, EVP and Business Head – Long Products, JSW Steels, Animesh Sinha, Chief of Marketing and Sales – Automotive, Tata Steel, R V Dalvi, Director -- Technical, Sunflag Iron and Steel Company Ltd, and Kedar Rele, Managing Director, Umicore India, presented their thoughts and ideas on the topic.

During the Session themed ‘Opportunities in EV Components, Electricals, and Electronics Supply Chain’, Veeraraghavan R, Co-Chairman, SIAM Aatmanirbhar Bharat Sourcing Group and Senior Vice President - Strategic Sourcing, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “Considering the growing demand of electronics, this is a very critical area for us as an industry to localise.” 

Harendra Saksena, Chief Purchasing Officer, Ather Energy Private Ltd., averred, "There is a huge market in the two-wheeler space in India. EV adoption of two-wheelers will go to 60 percent by 2030, which will create huge demand for electronics and electricals in the segment."

The session moderated by Rahul Kapur, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat LLP, saw the participation of Prashanth Doreswamy, President and CEO, Continental India; Archit Agarwal, Corporate Head for Sourcing, Minda Corporation; Amardeep Punhani, Senior Director – R&D, Digital Design, NXP Corporation, and Prithvideep Singh, General Manager, CDIL Semiconductors. The panelists delved on the rising electronics content in automobiles and the associated challenges and opportunities such as local manufacture, cost, volumes, applicability and sustainability.  

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Cars24 has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, to support India's startup ecosystem through initiatives focused on artificial intelligence, mobility, and road safety.

As per the agreement, Cars24 will establish structured programmes for early-stage founders, granting access to its infrastructure, mentor network, funding sources, market connections and technical resources. In turn, the DPIIT will facilitate national outreach and ecosystem integration via the Startup India platform, supporting knowledge exchange, co-branding and policy engagement.

The partnership encompasses five specific areas of operation: mentorship for early-stage founders via the Cars24 Founders' Fellowship, training through Mobility and Autotech Skilling Programmes, technical support and AI integration via Cars24 Labs, investor connections through Fuel by Cars24 and the organisation of an annual Innovation Challenge and Road Safety Hackathon alongside the DPIIT.

Vikram Chopra, Builder, Cars24, said, “Cars24 is proof that Indian founders can start with a difficult, everyday problem and build something on a national scale. We want to pass that possibility on. Through this partnership with DPIIT, we are backing the next generation of builders with more than advice. We want to give them access, capital, talent and a real platform to test ideas that can make India move smarter and safer.”

A senior DPIIT official commented, “Industry participation is central to strengthening India’s startup ecosystem. Collaborations of this kind, where an established market leader opens up its scale, mentorship and resources to early-stage founders, are exactly the bridge between ambition and execution that young startups need. We welcome Cars24’s commitment to mentoring, skilling and supporting product startups across the country.”

The non-binding MoU establishes a framework for ongoing collaboration between both entities to foster technology adoption and entrepreneurship within the Indian mobility sector.

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NXP Semiconductors has announced that the BMW Group will deploy its Trimension NCJ29D6 Ultra-Wideband (UWB) family across its vehicle fleet, beginning with selected 2026 production programmes.

The hardware component integrates fine-ranging capabilities with short-range radar functionality on a single chip. This allows vehicle manufacturers to utilise a single system for multiple applications, including hands-free vehicle entry and occupant presence detection.

The integration supports BMW’s Digital Key Plus feature, which enables vehicle owners to substitute key fobs with smartphones or smartwatches. The system manages locking and unlocking functions as the user approaches or moves away from the vehicle. Additionally, the technology includes in-cabin radar monitoring designed to identify motion patterns consistent with occupants or animals left inside a parked vehicle, sending notification alerts to users to align with European and Chinese NCAP assessment protocols.

Markus Staeblein, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Secure Car Access at NXP Semiconductors, said, “NXP’s proven Trimension UWB platform maximises value for OEMs, using a single system to deliver multiple new and differentiating features for drivers. Digital key and presence detection are just the beginning. OEMs will be able to deliver additional UWB-based features, such as kick sensing, intrusion alert or automatic charging, as they establish the secure hardware platform in their vehicles.”

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Envalior India, an engineering materials company formed through the merger of DSM Engineering Materials and LANXESS High Performance Materials, will inaugurate the Envalior Centre of Excellence in Electric Vehicle Technology on 5 August 2026 as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program.

The CoE located at Marathwada Mitra Mandal's Polytechnic in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, will be implemented by the BroadArks Foundation to provide vocational training in electric vehicle systems.

It plans to train 250 individuals annually through two courses: a Level 4 Certificate in EV Service, Safety & Maintenance and a Level 5 Advanced Certificate in EV Diagnostics & Systems.

The curricula align with the National Skills Qualifications Framework and carry certification support from the Confederation of Indian Industry. The programs target students from Industrial Training Institutes and polytechnics studying mechanical, electrical, electronics, mechatronics and computer science disciplines.

Training instruction covers classroom coursework and laboratory modules focused on vehicle architecture, battery management systems, charging infrastructure, thermal management, power electronics, diagnostics and workshop safety protocols. Practical assessments and industry projects form part of the curriculum structure.

Nileshkumar Kukalyekar, Business Director – South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Envalior, said, "The launch of the Envalior Centre of Excellence reflects our commitment to supporting India's transition towards electric mobility by investing in the people who will power it. Through this Centre, we aim to provide students with industry-aligned, hands-on training that prepares them for the evolving demands of the EV sector while contributing to a stronger and future-ready workforce."

In addition to student instruction, the facility is designed to support laboratory infrastructure and instructor development programs for technical education in the region.

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South Korean auto major Hyundai Motor Group has appointed Junghyun Kwon as Executive Vice-President and Head of the Autonomous Driving Development Center.

Kwon will oversee software engineering, deep learning integration, perception systems and commercialisation pathways for the group's autonomous mobility programs, reporting directly to Minwoo Park, President and Head of the Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division.

He joins the group following technical management roles in software development and artificial intelligence across international technology firms. Kwon previously managed autonomous driving software development and deployment at NVIDIA before directing intelligent robotics development at Samsung Electronics. His technical background covers machine learning models, computer vision systems and vehicle perception frameworks.

The executive appointment forms part of a broader recruitment sequence targeting software-defined vehicle architectures and autonomous driving systems.

Earlier in July, Hyundai Motor Group appointed Dongwuk Kim as Senior Vice-President and Head of the SDV Platform Development Center, following his work on wireless communication systems for mobile devices, robotics and vehicles at Apple and Tesla. The group also added Jeremy Ma as Senior Vice-President and Head of AVP Silicon Valley, drawing on his experience in robotics and autonomous systems at Apple, Toyota Research Institute and NVIDIA.

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